Unachofanya ni kuwatafutia excuse kwa addictions zao kwa madawa ya kulevya tu sio jengine.
Wapo katika position ya kupata msaada wowote wa kitaalamu wanaotaka ikiwa watakuwa na msongo lakini wao wanakombilia madawa ya kulevya
kuna tofauti kati ya kuwatafutia 'EXPLANATION' na kuwatafutia 'EXCUSE'!
Whitney Houston's death provides lessons for Abilene rehab groups
The rise and fall of Whitney Houston's career is as tragic as it is numbingly familiar.
God-given talent, wild success, addiction, flameout, return, relapse, death. It's the same narrative that has launched a thousand tabloid articles as entertainment stars of all stripes must wrestle their demons in the most public arena imaginable.
But for local organizations that treat alcohol and drug addiction, the tale is doubly saddening in that it mirrors the struggles of so many of their clients.
Houston lived a life that was a universe removed from the typical Big Country resident. Her resources and the access to temptation they provided were close to unlimited. Stardom amplified every aspect of her personal life into an ongoing soap opera.
And yet her frailties were nothing if not human.
As the president of Serenity House, a nonprofit substance-abuse rehab organization, Cindy Wier says the same drama plays out on millions of smaller stages throughout the country every year.
"For the average person who's not dealt with (addiction), there's still a misconception that if you're in trouble, why not just stop?" Wier said. "But no one volunteers for this. No one raises their hand and says, 'Let me be an alcoholic.' It sneaks up on a person."
What made the 48-year-old Houston's death such an unexpected footnote was that it came years after the peak of her infamous personal and drug-related battles, aired like so much dirty laundry on reality television and elsewhere in the press. She had checked into rehab as recently as this past summer, and the worst seemed to be behind her.
But for an addict, recovery never really ends. Wier compares it to a lifetime affliction such as diabetes.
"I've talked to people who have spent 20 or 30 years in recovery," Wier said. "And they tell me that it doesn't bother them to be around alcohol anymore. It no longer holds that allure for them. But they still go to meetings. Even when the craving is not there, you always have to be vigilant."
Karla Rose, executive director of the Abilene Regional Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, stresses that the motivation to change has to come from the individual. As much as friends and family members might want to shoulder their load, a person battling addiction has to take the reins for a healthier lifestyle. The best others can do is to put them in a position to succeed, day in and day out.
Rose says that stars such as Houston have an army of enablers to help insulate them from the consequences of their addictions, instead of positive role models who can help blaze a trail to sobriety.
Of course, even recovering addicts in seemingly ideal situations can suffer a relapse. Look no further than Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton, who had publicly devoted himself to sobriety following a rocky period during which drug abuse and alcoholism threatened to derail his baseball career. But last month, Hamilton went out drinking at a Dallas bar, which immediately dominated baseball's offseason headlines.
But Rose said such lapses, while upsetting, do not mark the end of the recovery trail.
"Some people have to get back on the wagon several times," Rose said. "They have to maintain what they've learned from their experience. If you relapse, it's not the end. You're not worthless. You just have to step back into the steps toward maintaining your recovery."
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